COVID-19 HR Update as of March 18
We wanted to share some key HR information with all staff in relation to the university’s response to COVID-19.
We continue to focus on the health and safety of our campus community and to prevent the risk and spread of COVID-19. The situation has been changing rapidly and the university continues to make important decisions to focus on the health and well-being of our students, faculty, staff and local community.
We strongly encourage you to regularly visit the McMaster COVID19 website and the Human Resources COVID webpage for the latest information to support your planning. These sites are being updated at least once a day.
Work from home
Employees who can work from home are strongly encouraged to do so.
There are certain employees who perform roles that cannot be done at home and that are essential or required in supporting the successful continuation of research and academic activities. Those employees will continue to report to work and are asked to work in partnership with their supervisors to implement strategies to enable social distancing and to ensure health and safety while in the workplace.
Employees who perform roles that cannot occur at home and are not part of the essential activities at this time will not be expected to report to work. It is possible that alternative work may be assigned (e.g. project work, editing or formatting materials, cleaning up electronic files, assisting with preparation of materials, etc.).
Employees should connect directly with their supervisors if they have any specific questions.
Continuance of Pay
We value our people and the important work they do. The scaling back of some operations at the University will be in place until at least April 5th, but this date could change based on any developments.
We realize that many employees are concerned about compensation arrangements at this time, particularly those who are unable to carry out their regular duties on campus. McMaster is committed to ensuring that all employees will continue to be compensated for the three-week period up to April 5, 2020. More details on how this will be operationalized for all staff groups, including temporary or casual employees, will be shared with supervisors and impacted employees in the coming days.
Health and Safety
The health, safety and well-being of the McMaster community is a top priority. In accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the university continues to take every reasonable precaution to protect the health and safety of workers. If any employee has a concern about their safety in the workplace, they are asked to speak with their supervisor.
A reminder for employees about social distancing and self-isolation
Government guidelines require that:
- Anyone who has traveled outside of Canada to self-isolate for 14 days, on your return to Canada whether you have symptoms or not.
- Anyone over 70 years of age and those who are immunocompromised are instructed to self-isolate for 14 days, in accordance with direction by the Province of Ontario.
- Everyone avoid large gatherings of 50 people or more.
- Everyone avoid close contact (within 2 metres) with anyone who is not their immediate family member.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has helpful information explaining the difference between self-monitoring, self-isolation and isolation for COVID-19.
The University has provided guidance for what to do when an employee may have been exposed to COVID-19 on the Human Resources COVID FAQ webpage.
Supports for Employees
Employees are encouraged to contact their supervisor if they have any questions. Resources and supports for employees are also available through Homewood Health, our Employee & Family Assistance Plan Provider.
Information is also updated regularly in the FAQs on the Human Resources COVID-19 webpage. Other recent updates include:
- Tips for Staying Healthy and Productive While Working from Home
- Information for Continuing to Work Safely On-Site
- Focus on Your Well-Being
McMaster recognizes that its employees may need additional flexibility, support, and understanding as the circumstances with the COVID-19 pandemic continue to evolve, which must be balanced with the needs of the University and handled in a reasonable and equitable way. Having the most up to date information is important during this time so we encourage you to reach out and connect with your supervisor and please contact Human Resources or email us at hr.mcmaster@mcmaster.ca for additional questions or inquiries.
To re-iterate the President’s recent message, this is not the time to worry about having perfect answers. It is the time to work together in the best ways we can. Thank you to everyone for all of your extraordinary efforts to date and over the weeks to come.
COVID-19, Employee Well-being, Health & Safety, The Way We Work, Things to Know, TMG